Michigan program that helps mothers and children to expand benefits

DETROIT (FOX 2) - It's a program that works to ensure every child in Michigan has a strong start. RX Kids aims to provide hope to families during pregnancy and right after birth, and now it's expanding.

Big picture view:

Dr. Mona Hanna, whose research exposed the Flint water crisis, started RX Kids. The program launched in Flint and is up and running in nine communities, but now it's expanding.

"We launched in two more communities, Royal Oak Township and Hazel Park, so that means everybody in these communities who is pregnant or is having a baby is eligible to enroll," Hanna said. "A mama has to be at least 16 weeks pregnant, or a baby has to be born that day enrollment goes live or later."

Thanks to private and public donors and state funding, the program provided much-needed cash to mothers.

It works like this: according to Hanna, participants receive $1,500 once after mid-pregnancy, and when the baby is born, it's $500 a month for most communities for six months after birth.

"The program is universal for everyone in the community, and that makes it easy to understand who is eligible," Hanna explained.

There is no set way on how to use the money as families make that decision for themselves.

"Because some people need help with diapers and some need help with rent," said former recipient Celeste Lord-Timlin. "The first half of the $1,500 was used for a stroller."

The $500 monthly payment helped Lord-Timlin and her family with daycare.

"We were shocked at how much daycare costs. My husband and I both work full-time," said Lord-Timlin. 

"RX Kids is something we call a prescription for health, hope, and opportunity, and it’s this bold effort to prescribe away poverty to improve the health of entire communities," Hanna said.

What you can do:

Dr. Hanna says the application process takes about 10 minutes to complete.

If you want to learn more about the program, you can tap here to go to their website.